The Help Page #5

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ELIZABETH:

I can't ask Raleigh until tax

season. But, it would be nice.

HILLY:

That's why I've drafted The Home

Help Sanitation Initiative.

16.

SKEETER:

"The Home"...the what?!

HILLY:

As a disease preventative bill that

requires every white home to have a

separate bathroom for the colored

help. I've even notified the

Surgeon General of Mississippi.

I'll pass.

Skeeter again glances at Aibileen. Their eyes meet.

SKEETER:

Maybe we ought to just build you a

bathroom outside, Hilly.

The room grows eerily quiet.

HILLY:

You ought not to joke about the

colored situation.

Hilly leans in toward Skeeter.

HILLY (CONT'D)

I'll do whatever it takes to

protect our town. Your lead,

Jolene.

Jolene suddenly looks to a wall clock. She jumps up and

throws her cards to the table.

JOLENE:

I have to skedaddle! Gotta get

over to the station!

(EXCITEDLY)

Daddy's letting me do the weather

tonight!

EXT. FOOTE ESTATE - BACKYARD - SAME DAY

Celia delicately prunes two rosebushes. Her long pink

fingernails wrap easily around a pair of sheers.

As Celia stands back to admire her work, We widen to see the

Foote estate. Ancient oaks dripping in Spanish moss surround

a perfectly manicured lawn. "Tara" pales in comparison.

Oddly, the two rosebushes have been planted in the center of

the lawn, jeopardizing the Antebellum Feng Shui.

AIBILEEN (V.O.)

Now, Miss Celia had her a man.

`Bout the best lookin' man in all

of Mississippi. But, no baby and

no friends.

JOHNNY FOOTE, 23, Celia's ridiculously handsome husband,

sneaks up behind her as he removes his jacket and tie.

17.

JOHNNY:

Roses look like weeds next to you.

Celia turns with a yelp. She slaps him playfully.

CELIA:

Johnny, you scared the daylights

out of me!

Johnny begins kissing her neck.

CELIA (CONT'D)

You're home early.

Celia pushes him back.

CELIA (CONT'D)

Johnny, I can't get any of your old

friends from school to call me

back.

JOHNNY:

Oh, who cares, honey. We got all

we need right here.

Johnny kisses her again and lowers her to the grass.

CELIA:

Johnny, honestly!

JOHNNY:

Doctor's orders.

Johnny starts kissing Celia's breasts. She becomes uneasy

and rolls out from under him.

CELIA:

I don't know what's taking us so

long. I'm sorry.

Johnny brushes hair from Celia's face.

JOHNNY:

Hey, we've never done it in the

yard. Maybe that's the trick.

Celia seductively bites her lower lip.

CELIA:

Watch my hair.

Johnny's hand slides up her thigh.

INT. LEEFOLT HOME - KITCHEN - LATER THAT DAY

Bridge over, Skeeter smokes while watching through a window

as Minny arrives in Hilly's car. Skeeter blows smoke toward

Hilly and Elizabeth saying good-bye.

18.

A sermon plays over an old AM radio nestled between

canisters of sugar and flour.

Aibileen enters with a stack of dirty coffee cups.

SKEETER:

Aibileen?

Aibileen becomes nervous at the sight of Skeeter alone.

AIBILEEN:

Yes, ma'am.

SKEETER:

I had hoped to ask you myself if

you could help me with the "Miss

Myrna" letters...

AIBILEEN:

Yes, ma'am.

SKEETER:

So...Would you help me?

Aibileen nods and looks out to Elizabeth on the street.

AIBILEEN:

Miss Myrna gets it wrong lotta

times. Be good to get it right.

SKEETER:

Thank you, Aibileen. I plan on

splitting the pay with you, too.

Aibileen doesn't respond. She grabs a basket of rolls.

SKEETER (CONT'D)

Listen...all that talk in there

today. Hilly's talk I mean...I'm

sorry you had to hear that.

Aibileen quickly turns her back to Skeeter. A gospel choir

begins singing on the radio.

SKEETER (CONT'D)

Is that Preacher Green's sermon on

the radio?

AIBILEEN:

Yes, ma'am, it is.

SKEETER:

That reminds me so much of my maid

growing up.

Aibileen starts wiping down a serving tray.

AIBILEEN:

Constantine and me...were in church

circle together.

19.

Skeeter turns to Aibileen as she puts out her cigarette.

SKEETER:

She loved me like you love Mae

Mobley.

AIBILEEN:

Yes, ma'am.

Skeeter moves closer to Aibileen.

SKEETER:

Aibileen? How could she just quit

like that?

Aibileen stops wiping and looks up to Skeeter...

AIBILEEN:

Quit?

SKEETER:

Yes. When I got home from school

last week, Momma said she had quit.

Back in March to go live with her

people up in Chicago. She didn't

leave me a note or anything.

Aibileen turns and resumes wiping the tray.

SKEETER (CONT'D)

Could you do that to Mae Mobley?

Aibileen slowly turns back to Skeeter.

AIBILEEN:

No, ma'am. I couldn't...

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